


Night of the Demons

by TazzyJan



Category: Fastlane
Genre: M/M, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-07
Updated: 2013-11-07
Packaged: 2017-12-31 19:18:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1035408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TazzyJan/pseuds/TazzyJan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Van and Deaq investigate a warehouse but everything isn't as it would seem...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night of the Demons

Van was whistling as he pulled up outside the Candy Store. He was in a great mood. He saw Deaq's car already parked out front and slid in beside it. This, he could feel, was going to be a great day.

"Hey," Van called out as he sauntered inside. He saw Billie and Deaq bent over her desk working on something and headed over to join them. Billie had told them only yesterday that she had a new case for them and he was anxious to see what it was.

"'Bout time you got here," Deaq said, his grin taking the sting out of his words.

"Yeah, yeah," Van replied. "So sue me for sleeping in for a change."

"If you two are finished," Billie said, bringing their attention back to the matter at hand. "I've got a new case for you."

"Oh yeah? Let's hear it," Van said. 

"I trust you've both heard about the rash of disappearances in the warehouse district lately," Billie said. "Well, we've been called in to investigate."

"Um, excuse me but isn't that a bit out of our area of expertise?" Van asked, wondering why they were being called in on a rash of missing persons cases.

"Do you have a problem with the assignment?" Billie asked coldly. She and Deaq were both looking at him funny and Van frowned.

"You're the boss," he replied, confused.

"Good," Billie shot back. "Now I want you two to head down there and look around. Try to get a feel for the place. Most of the disappearances happened at night so I want you two ready to stake the place out this evening."

Van was getting a bad feeling about this but he didn't say anything. He could see that Billie was still unhappy with him for his earlier comment so he held his tongue until he and Deaq were alone in his car. "What the hell's going on?" he asked as he drove toward downtown.

"What's the matter with you, Van?" Deaq asked. "You sound like you don't want to help out."

"Help out?" Van asked. "Help out how? This isn't our game. We're just going to end up getting in the way. I don't know why Billie even agreed to this."

"The mayor called and asked for us personally," Deaq said. "Damn, baby, I thought you'd be proud of the recognition."

"Proud? Deaq, the last thing two undercover cops need is recognition," Van said. "And did you just call me baby?"

"I know, I know. Not at work," Deaq smiled and slid a little closer to his partner. "But it's just us in the car."

"Um, Deaq... what are you doing?" Van squeaked as a hand ghosted over his thigh.

"Just letting you know I missed you, baby," Deaq said. "I hate taking separate cars to work."

"We always take separate cars to work." Van was confused. He didn't know what had gotten into Deaq. The man was acting like they were lovers or something and it was weirding him out. 

"Are you feeling all right?" Deaq asked, concern coloring his voice. "I knew that sushi was a bad idea last night."

"I feel fine," Van said. "I feel great. I mean really great."

"Okay, baby," Deaq replied. "Just tell me if you start feeling sick again."

"All right, what is up with calling me baby?" Van snapped. If it wasn't for the sincere look on Deaq's face, Van would have thought his partner was playing him. He'd been so damn careful not to let his feelings show. It wasn't easy but as far as he knew Deaq didn't know anything about how Van really felt for him. Van planned to keep it that way.

"You're really starting to freak me out here," Deaq said. "I always call you baby. At least I do when we're alone. You never seemed to mind it before."

"Deaq, you have never called me baby. Trust me, man, I would have remembered if you did."

Deaq started to say something then stopped. He sagged back against the seat, defeat written all over his face. It was long, tense moments later before he spoke. "If you're trying to dump me just say so," he said quietly. "I told you when we started this I wouldn't make a scene if you wanted out."

Van's grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white. He jerked the car into the first parking lot he could find and shut off the engine. His breath was coming in short, jerky gasps as he tried to take in what Deaq was telling him. 

"Are we lovers?" Van asked outright. He caught Deaq's flinch out of the corner of his eye and felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach.

"Yeah," Deaq replied. "At least we were this morning. I don't know what the hell we are now. Van... what's going on?"

"I don't know," Van said, forcing himself to take several deep breaths. "I don't know what's going on. All I know is I woke up this morning feeling great. I come in to work to find that we've been assigned a case that has nothing to do with us and that my ever so straight partner is also my lover. Maybe you should tell me what's going on."

"Are you saying you don't remember last night?" Deaq demanded. "Or how about this morning? You don't remember me sucking you off this morning then leaving you to catch a few extra z's?"

"No," Van said. He forced himself to release the steering wheel and turn toward his partner. Deaq was hurting. Van could see it in the man's eyes. He longed to reach out and touch him but he wasn't sure if he should or not. This whole thing was crazy. Deaq was straight. They weren't lovers. Yet here Deaq sat telling him that they were and looking very upset that Van couldn't seem to remember any of it. 

"I'll walk back." 

The door was open and Deaq was getting out before Van even registered the words. Reaching out, he grabbed his partner's arm and jerked him back against the seat.

"Don't you fucking dare," Van growled. "No, I don't remember this morning. Or last night. At least I don't remember them the way you do. But let me tell you something. I sure as hell wish I did."

"Van..."

"I don't remember being your lover, Deaq, but I wish I did. Hell, I'd give just about anything to remember it."

"So you're not just doing this because you want to break it off?" Deaq asked, something like relief edging into his voice. "You really don't remember?"

"No, babe," Van smiled. "I just don't remember."

"Maybe we should get you to a hospital or something," Deaq suggested. "We've been lovers for over a month now and you say you can't remember any of it. I don't like this."

"Neither do I, but I don't think a hospital's going to do any good. Besides, if we go to a hospital then Billie will find out. I know this is California, but they still don't take too well to gays on the force. And they'd never let us stay partners."

"I'd like to see 'em try to separate us," Deaq growled.

"Come on, let's go check this warehouse place out for Billie," Van said. "We can worry about figuring this out when we're off the clock."

************************

They scoured the warehouse, committing the layout to memory. If they ended up stumbling around the place in the dark, they needed to know what they might run into. Van still didn't like the whole idea of them messing around in this but there was nothing he could do. Billie called the shots, and if she wanted them to do this then they would.

What bothered Van the most was that Deaq didn't seem to have a problem with it. He acted like it was nothing out of the ordinary for them to be crawling through an abandoned building looking for signs of what might have gone on here. From the way the dust was disturbed it was clear that Forensics had already been and gone. 

"Hey, Deaq, do me a favor tonight," Van said as they climbed back into the car.

"Name it," Deaq said. He had been incredibly laid-back with everything, deferring to Van on where and what to search in the building. Van was starting to wonder where the damn pod was.

"Wear your vest tonight," he said. Something wasn't right. It wasn't just the fact that he had no memory of a month-long love affair with his partner. It was just… everything. None of it added up and it was making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. 

"Sure thing, man," Deaq replied.

"Deaq, I'm not crazy," Van said, glancing out of the corner of his eye at his partner.

"Nobody said you were," Deaq came back. Van started to argue and Deaq cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Things are really screwed up right now. I don't know why you can't remember the hottest sex I've ever had in my life, but we *will* figure it out. I'm not going to lose you, Van. I love you too damn much to let that happen."

************************

They were staked out across the street from the warehouse watching it through binoculars. Van had made sure that Deaq wore his vest. Billie had looked at them funny when he'd handed it to his partner but she hadn't said anything. Van had been glad for that. He wasn't sure what he would have told her. The truth was certainly out of the question. 

At least the warehouse seemed to be a bust. They hadn't seen any activity all night and it was getting close to two a.m. Van knew he shouldn't be glad for the wasted effort but he was. He still had a bad feeling about all this and he wanted Deaq out of the line of fire.

They'd just finished calling in their latest update when movement caught their attention. "It's just a dog or a cat or something," Van said as they watched the small shape enter the building. He knew that wasn't true even as he said it. The outline had been all wrong for a dog or cat. The thing, whatever it was, had been up on two legs. But what the hell walked on two legs and only stood a foot high?

A few short minutes later a scream rent the air. Van and Deaq were out of the car and running for the building without a second thought. Another scream cut through the air as they burst through the warehouse doors. 

What they saw stopped them dead in their tracks. There, bound to the cold concrete floor, was a young woman. Dancing around her naked body were a dozen creatures straight out of a Friday night fright show. 

They were small, only about a foot or so tall. They walked on two short, stubby legs. Their skin was a deep blue color. Their large, bulbous heads held glowing red eyes, and rows of razor sharp teeth. In their pudgy hands they clutched what looked to be sharpened spears.

"What the fuck?" Deaq said, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. They looked like small blue demons and they were all staring at the two interlopers. 

"Please... help me..." the girl on the floor cried out weakly as she struggled in her bonds. Blood ran from the numerous cuts already marring her flesh. 

"Get the fuck away from her," Deaq shouted, raising his gun. 

Almost as a single unit the demons grinned. Before they could even blink the things turned and lunged at the helpless woman. Screams and blood filled the air as they tore into their victim. Deaq opened fire, trying to get the things off the girl, but the bullets simply passed right through them. Only when his gun was empty did the demons pull back from their feast.

What remained of the woman was nothing more than a hollowed out shell. Her blood covered the things, giving them a purple tint and making their red eyes stand out even more. Deaq took a step back, bile rising in his throat at the carnage they had wrought. Suddenly, a strong hand clamped on to his arm and began pulling him back toward the door.

"We have got to get out of here," Van hissed, dragging Deaq along behind him. He hated leaving the woman behind as much as Deaq did but there was nothing they could do for her now.

The contact with Van seemed to break Deaq out of his momentary paralysis. Holding on to his partner's arm, he ran for the door. He could hear the things coming after them, their clawed feet skittering along the concrete floor. They reached the entrance and Deaq holstered his gun to help Van pull the heavy door open. The door, however, had other ideas. 

"Damn it!" Van swore as they tried to force the door open. He could hear the creatures getting closer by the second. Grabbing Deaq, he ran for the stairs at the far side of the room. If they could make it up to the control room they might be able to barricade themselves inside till morning. Van had a feeling if they could just make it to daybreak they might have a chance.

They made it up the stairs and into the room, slamming the metal door shut behind them. They heard the things slam into the door a moment later, letting them know how close they had come to being overrun. Both men panted as they leaned against the door, adding their weight to the hard steel as if it might somehow help to keep them safe for a little while longer.

"What the fuck were those things?" Deaq gasped, shuddering at the memory of what they had done to their latest victim.

"I don't know," Van said, shaking his head. "But whatever they are, they want us dead and bullets don't seem to affect them."

"Any ideas how we get out of this place?" Deaq asked.

"I think if we can just hang on until morning they'll be gone," Van said.

"How do you know that?"

"I don't. I'm just hoping," Van replied. "Come on, let's see what we've got to work with just in case they find a way to get through that door." They looked around the small room noting the lack of anything useful. The only thing that could vaguely be considered a weapon was the chemical fire extinguisher bolted to the wall.

"It probably won't hurt 'em but we may be able to blind them with it or something," Deaq said as he handed it to Van. 

************************

Van glanced at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. It was a little past four in the morning. They still had over two hours to go before sunrise. The door seemed to be holding so they weren't really worried about the creatures getting inside. What worried them the most right now was Billie. They were over two hours late checking in. Knowing their boss, she was on her way there right now. 

They had spent the last two hours talking. Deaq had filled him in on everything he couldn't seem to remember. He'd described in painstaking detail their first time together, relating how scared both of them had been. Van believed him. It was exactly the way he'd imagined a first time between them would be. He felt cheated that the memory of it had been stolen from him somehow.

They'd progressed from words to gentle, hesitant kisses. He knew Deaq was being careful with him, trying not to spook him. His partner shouldn't have worried. This was everything Van had ever wanted and yet so much more. 

The sound of metal scraping against concrete brought them both to their feet. It was the warehouse door being opened. The creatures hadn't needed the door to get in. That left only one possibility... Billie.

"Damn," Deaq swore. "What do you we do now? We can't just let her walk in there. They'll tear her to pieces."

"I know," Van said. "That's why we've got a plan."

"We do?"

"We do," Van grinned. "You are going to throw open the door. Be careful to stay behind it. I'm gonna make a run for it down the stairs with Mr. Fire Extinguisher here. Hopefully I'll be able to blind the little fuckers enough so Billie can get out."

"Not only no, but *hell* no," Deaq told him. "You ain't running down there into the middle of those things with nothing but a fire extinguisher you don't even know works. That's suicide."

"Look, Deaq, Billie's down there," Van huffed. "If we don't do something she's gonna die."

"Then I'll do it," Deaq said, holding his hand out for the fire extinguisher.

"No way," Van shook his head. "I don't want you out there. Please, Deaq. For once, just trust me."

Something in Van's eyes told Deaq to trust him. Hating it, but knowing they were out of time, he nodded his agreement. "Don't you go dying on me, baby," Deaq whispered as he grabbed the doorknob. On three, he jerked the door open so Van could run out then slammed it shut again. Once it was closed, he sagged against it and prayed he hadn't just let Van run to his death.

Van practically catapulted through the door and down the stairs. He stopped when he saw Billie standing in the middle of the room, her gun drawn. The creatures were nowhere to be seen.

"What's going on?" she asked, glancing at the mutilated body a few feet away.

"Billie, you have to get out of here right now," Van warned. He glanced around nervously for any sign of the things but the place appeared deserted.

"Van, what the hell is going on? And where's Deaq?" 

At the mention of Deaq's name Van tensed up. He looked up the stairs and weighed the possibility that this was all some sort of trap. With the warehouse door standing wide open he decided they'd chance it. "Deaq!" he called out, keeping his eyes peeled. With his attention on his partner, he failed o see the red glow of Billie's eyes as she smiled.

"Van?" Deaq called out hesitantly.

"The coast is clear and the door's wide open. Let's get the hell out of here," Van yelled back.

Deaq didn't have to be told twice. He threw open the door and hustled down the stairs. At the bottom he turned to Billie and froze, his relief instantly turning to dread.

"You didn't really think you'd get out of here alive, did you?" she asked. All about the room demons began to emerge. They grinned and scraped their claws along the floor. Pink-tinged spittle dripped from their fangs as they closed in on the trio.

"Billie... what's going on?" Van asked.

"What's going on? Van, even you should be able to figure this one out," the Billie-thing sneered. "You and Deaq are dinner. And believe me, my babies are *very* hungry."

"NO!" Van screamed. He brought the fire extinguisher up and sprayed a cloud of the chemical at Billie and the advancing things. 

The Billie-thing screamed and lunged back, trying to avoid the icy blast. Her creatures rallied to protect her, throwing themselves between her and the chemical spewing from the canister. Van angled the spray toward them, grinning widely as they began to writhe and twitch on the spot.

A shout from behind him whirled him around. Three of them had latched onto Deaq and were biting into him. One was trying to burrow into his stomach as the other two attacked his legs to bring him down. If it hadn't been for his vest, Deaq would already be dead. 

Van aimed the extinguisher at his partner and opened fire. He hosed the things down, kicking them away when they fell to the ground. Slipping one arm around his injured partner he headed them toward the door, hoping to make it outside and to the car before the things could regroup.

Luckily for them, the creatures seemed more concerned with the Billie-thing than them. Van dragged Deaq across the street and to the car. He threw open the door intending to push Deaq inside. Fate, it seemed, was not being kind.

"No..." Van said, stumbling backward with Deaq. The inside of the car was filled with the things. Billie must have let them in before she came inside. Pulling his gun, Van began to fire but the bullets had no effect. He and Deaq went down hard and the last thing he heard was the sound of his partner screaming.

************************

"NO!" Van shouted, jerking upright in his chair so hard he sent himself and the chair careening to the floor. 

"What the fuck?" Deaq said as he and Billie raced into the room. Van had fallen asleep at his desk earlier. He had looked so worn out they had just let him sleep. 

Van saw his partner standing there whole and alive and his terror began to abate. A few seconds later his eyes landed on Billie and it returned even stronger. He glanced to his left and saw the fire extinguisher hanging on the wall. He raced for it, jerking it free and turning it on Billie before either of them could react.

A cloud of white smoke engulfed Billie and she jerked back. The motion sent her to the ground, coughing and gagging. Thinking the demon queen once more dealt with, Van threw the canister down and turned to Deaq.

"Oh God, baby. I thought you were dead." Van said as he pulled Deaq to him and kissed him hard on the mouth.

Deaq acted on reflex. He pushed Van back hard and glared at him. He wasn't sure what was throwing him off more right now - the fact that Van had just attacked Billie or the fact that he'd kissed him.

"Oh fuck," Van whispered as reality began to reassert itself. "Ohfuckohfuckohfuck. What have I done?" He took in the sight before him. Billie was still coughing on the ground and Deaq was looking at him like he'd never seem him before. Shaking, not sure what was really going on but knowing that he'd just trashed his life, Van turned and fled. 

He ran outside to his car, noting with a pang that it sat beside Deaq's. He climbed in and locked the doors, not wanting his partner to catch up to him before he could get his shaking hands to cooperate enough to start the car. He needn't have worried. Deaq didn't so much as peek his head out the door. Van supposed that was for the best.

************************

"Billie... girl, you okay?" Deaq said as he helped her to her feet.

"Yeah," she said, trying to fan away what remained of the cloud. A quick look around showed no sign of Van and she frowned. "Where's Van?"

"He split," Deaq said. "He hosed you down with the fire extinguisher, laid a lip-lock on me then split."

"He kissed you?" Billie gasped. 

"Yeah. With tongue, even," Deaq said, smiling now. 

"That must have been some dream he had," she mused. "Don't you think you should go after him? I mean, if he realizes now he was dreaming, the fact that he kissed you is probably got him freaked."

"And my reaction didn't help any," Deaq agreed. "I shoved him back. He caught me by surprise."

"So I take it you're not upset about the kiss?" Billie pressed, wanting to make sure Deaq wasn't going to go find Van and beat the shit out of him.

"Nah. I been known to play both sides of the field from time to time. And Van is one fine looking man."

"Then go find him before he does something stupid like disappears for good. He probably thinks you never want to see him again."

Deaq made sure Billie was okay then headed out in search of his partner. Billie was right. Van took everything to heart and when he shoved him there was only one thing he would have taken that as. Deaq cursed himself for not letting his partner know that there was nothing he could do that would make Deaq turn his back on him.

It didn't take long for Deaq to find him. Van must have thought he wouldn't even look because the man had simply gone home. Deaq knew that could just as easily mean that Van was packing his shit up to hit the road but he hoped not.

************************

A sharp knock at the door caused Van to jump in his seat. The glass of whiskey in his hand spilled over the side but he didn't seem to notice. Another sharp knock and he ignored it as he had the first. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. The only person he wanted to see didn't want anything to do with him anymore. 

Deaq pounded on the door again then began fishing out his key. He knew Van was inside and he was going to talk to the man. He pulled out the spare key Van had given him a few months back and let himself into the apartment.

Van thought he must be dreaming again. There was no way Deaq was here. Unless, of course, Deaq had come to beat the crap out of him. He didn't blame him. Deaq was a man's man. He wasn't some fucking faggot like Van.

"Hey," Deaq said as he moved into the darkened room. "You okay, partner?"

Van's short back of hysterical laughter told Deaq that he was definitely not okay. Deaq decided to try again. He eased closer slowly, knowing better than to move too quickly right now. "That must have been some dream you had."

"Yeah," Van said, scrubbing his free hand over his face. He turned up the glass of whiskey and downed the contents in two large gulps. Maybe if he got drunk enough he could forget all about how he'd ruined his life.

"Van, it's gonna be all right," Deaq said as he crouched down beside Van's chair. He was close enough he could reach out and touch Van but he didn't. His partner was still too spooked for that. 

"All right?" Van laughed again. "I just toasted my boss with a fire extinguisher and I... I..."

"You kissed me," Deaq supplied.

"You want to beat the crap out of me, you can," Van said, dejectedly. "I'll ask Billie for my badge back. She'll find you a partner you can trust, not some fucking perv."

"I got a partner I can trust," Deaq said, laying a careful hand on Van's arm. "And if you go, I go."

"Deaq..." Van whispered, looking from the hand on his arm to his partner's concerned eyes.

"Why don't you tell me about this dream you had?" Deaq suggested. "Maybe we can make some sense of it."

In fits and starts Van told him about the dream. He told him about the case and the monsters. He told him about the Billie-thing being the queen demon. He told him about racing for the car only to find it filled with more of the things. 

"The last thing I heard was your scream. That's what woke me up," Van said. "You want to know the worst part of the whole thing? Not remembering. You were telling me that we were together and I had no memories of it. I felt cheated."

"Damn, man. No wonder you freaked when you woke up and we came running in," Deaq said. "You probably didn't even realize you were awake. To you, it was still the dream. Billie's lucky you didn't shoot her."

"Bullets don't work on them," Van shrugged. "The only thing that affected them was the fire extinguisher."

"So, now that you're awake..." Deaq began but Van cut him off.

"Deaq, man, I am so sorry I kissed you," Van said. 

"I'm not," Deaq replied.

"Come again?" 

"I said, I'm not," Deaq repeated. "The only thing I'm sorry for is my reaction. You surprised the hell out of me. I didn't shove you back 'cause I was disgusted. I shoved you back 'cause I was shocked. You need to think about something, Van. Is what we had in that dream of yours something you really want or is part of you still stuck in that dream world?"

"No, I want it," Van said, looking away from Deaq. "In the dream you told me about our first time. I should have known it was a dream then because it was exactly the way I always thought our first time would be."

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"Me shaking and you scared you're gonna hurt me." Van smiled but it was a melancholy one. Like he was wistfully remembering a dream that he knew would never be reality.

"You ever been with a guy before?" Deaq asked.

"Nope. You?" That was another thing that worried him. Even if Deaq was interested, once he found out that Van was completely inexperienced he'd drop him quick.

"A few times," Deaq admitted. He smiled at the shocked look on Van's face. Obviously his partner hadn't expected that answer. "Are you really sure you want this? If it's just curiosity, I can find you someone for that."

"It's not curiosity," Van said. "You're the only guy I've ever wanted... like that. It's you or nothing for me."

"You're a very beautiful man," Deaq said softly as he ran his hand down the side of Van's face. "But this isn't going to be just sex between us. We're already close. We do this and we'll cross a line that we can't ever walk back over."

"Deaq..." Van gasped, leaning into the touch. He wanted this more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. He'd been so scared he'd fucked everything up. Now Deaq was offering him the world. He started to shake as he realized just where this was going.

"Van... you okay?" Deaq asked when he felt Van start to shake. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for. We can take our time."

"It's not that," Van said quickly. "I want this... want you. I'm just a little scared, that's all. You know me, always so sensitive."

"Yeah and I happen to like that about you. Are you sure you want to do this now? Maybe we should wait until you're a little less strung out."

"No!" Van said a bit too loudly. "I don't want to wait. It might be a dream again and I don't want to wake up without making love with you."

"It's not a dream, baby," Deaq promised him. He stood up and held his hand out to his soon-to-be lover. "Come on. There's a bed in this place that's got our names written all over it."

Van let himself be led into his bedroom. The alcohol in his system, combined with the adrenaline rush from the nightmare, was making him a bit woozy. Deaq steadied him and sat him down on the side of the bed.

Ever so slowly, Deaq undressed them both. Once there were both naked, Deaq pulled Van into the center of the bed and kissed him. This time there was no pulling away. They kissed and groped, letting their hands wander over each other as much as they could. Deaq lined them up so their groins were pressed together and began to rock. He knew Van wanted him to take him, but he didn't think he was ready for that just yet. Instead, he brought them off this way, facing each other as they gently rocked together.

When it was over, Deaq grabbed his t-shirt off the floor and cleaned them up. He pulled the blanket over them as he arranged Van's head on his chest. By the time he had the blanket in place, his exhausted partner was asleep. Deaq watched him for a few minutes before slipping into sleep himself.

************************

It was with no small amount of trepidation that Van pulled up outside the Candy Store. He knew Deaq said that Billie wasn't mad, but he was still scared. Billie was his boss and he'd attacked her. Granted he hadn't done any damage but the fact remained.

"You guys okay?" Billie asked anxiously when they walked inside. She'd been worried sick about Van all night. Deaq had called her during the night to let her know that he'd found Van and they were working things out. She still hadn't been able to get any sleep. She needed to see that he was all right for herself.

"We're great," Deaq answered when Van didn't. He glanced at his partner and saw how scared he looked. He decided to get right to the point and end Van's worries. "We talked everything out last night. You won't have to worry about us chasing the ladies anymore."

"Deaq!" Van gasped, his eyes going wide. His partner had just outed them to their boss. 

"Van!" Billie called out sharply, getting the other man's attention before continuing more softly. "It's okay. Deaq told me yesterday that he didn't have a problem with what happened. The only thing I have to say is don't advertise it and don't let it interfere with the job."

"You're okay with this?" Van asked, thinking this was too good to be true. He got Deaq as a lover and he didn't have to hide it at work.

"Yeah, I'm okay with it," she smiled.

"Um, Billie... I didn't hurt you yesterday, did I?" Van asked, suddenly nervous again.

"No, you didn't hurt me," she told him. "You did scare the hell out of me when you took off, though. After Deaq told me you kissed him I was worried you might take off for good."

"I was going to," Van admitted. "But then I realized I didn't really have anywhere to go. So I decided to drink myself into oblivion instead. Then Deaq came over and..."

"And the rest is between you two," she finished with a smile. "Well, while I appreciate you two coming in so I could see you're okay, I'm sending you home. I want you both to take the rest of the week off. If you hadn't been so exhausted this whole nightmare thing never would have happened."

"Actually, I'm kind of glad it happened," Van admitted sheepishly.

"I know," Billie replied. "Just consider it my gift to you. Now go home and play house for a few days so you can get all that lovey-dovey crap out of your system. I expect you back here Monday morning ready to work."

"Thanks, Boss," Van said, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek.

She watched them go, shaking her head. "Only Van would dream I was the queen of the diabolic smurfs."

************************

From across the room a lone figure peeked out. It's small blue body was scarred on one side. It was careful to stay hidden. The Knights weren't long gone. If it was found now it would be destroyed. Being the last of it's kind it could not allow that to happen. 

It was time to return underground. It had to grow strong again, replenish its numbers once more. It cast a mournful glance in Billie's direction. 

One day she would make a beautiful Queen.

END.


End file.
